Every fall, OSHA’s top 10 violations are released, in an effort to inform and educate employers on the most common issues in the workplace. This year, the preliminary list of OSHA’s top 10 violations highlight a notable increase in enforcement efforts by OSHA compared to the previous year.
This year’s list reveals a surge of 7,624 violations as compared to 2022, with all 10 categories experiencing an uptick.
Notably, Fall Protection – General Requirements maintains its longstanding position as the most cited violation for the 13th consecutive year. Following closely are Hazard Communication and Ladders.
These statistics, compiled from data spanning October 1, 2022, to September 30, 2023, were unveiled at the National Safety Council’s 2023 Safety Congress & Expo.
This list serves as a crucial indicator of OSHA’s areas of heightened scrutiny and provides a valuable starting point for assessing your safety protocols or crafting a comprehensive safety plan.
Wondering which violations made the top 10 for FY 2023? Let’s break it down…
Related Article: OSHA Top 10 Violations for 2022
Related Article: OSHA Releases 2022 Workplace Injury and Illness Data
OSHA’s Top 10 Violations for 2023
This compilation provides valuable insights into OSHA’s areas of focus, serving as an excellent launching point for you to assess your safety requirements and develop a robust safety blueprint.
- Fall Protection – General Requirements (1926.501): 7,271 violations.
- Hazard Communication (1910.1200): 3,213 violations.
- Ladders (1926.1053): 2,978 violations.
- Scaffolding (1926.451): 2,859 violations.
- Powered Industrial Trucks (1910.178): 2,561 violations.
- Lockout/Tagout (1910.147): 2,554 violations.
- Respiratory Protection (1910.134): 2,481 violations.
- Fall Protection – Training Requirements (1926.503): 2,112 violations.
- Personal Protective and Lifesaving Equipment – Eye and Face Protection (1926.102): 2,074 violations.
- Machine Guarding (1910.212): 1,644 violations.
Once again, Fall Protection emerges as a prominently emphasized aspect for OSHA inspectors, underlining its significance in ensuring workplace safety and compliance.
While the Top 10 violations for 2023 maintain consistency with the previous year, there have been noteworthy shifts in their respective rankings. Respiratory Protection, previously at the fourth position in FY 2022, has now moved down to seventh place.
Powered Industrial Trucks, on the other hand, have ascended two positions, securing their spot in the top five. The top 5 also encompasses Hazard Communication, Ladders, and Scaffolding.
What Can You do to Maintain the Respiratory Protection Standards?
Nearly every industry shares a common health danger to some extent: Airborne hazards are everywhere!
From silica dust to asbestos and mold, there’s plenty of risk to go around. And, if your team doesn’t feel safe within the environment, or they’re not trained to understand the toxins, it could cause lifelong lung issues. The question then becomes: Is that risk worth it?
From your perspective as an employer, you’ll also have to answer a question: Is it worth cutting corners on respiratory protection to save a few bucks now, even with the risk of OSHA fines and possible lawsuits?
In order to maintain a safe workplace, and to comply with OSHA’s respiratory standard, you need to develop, maintain, and implement a respiratory protection program for your employees. Including this topic in your safety program and health and safety manual is critical if any respiratory risk exists in your worksite.
Additionally, respirators give employees the confidence and protection they need to stay safe from dangerous vapors, dusts, smokes, mists, fogs, gasses, fumes, and sprays, and other airborne hazards.
Of course, you’ll need to ensure that your team is medically able to wear them, that they’re fit tested and clean, and that you’re retesting each year, as required.
Also, make sure to download your free Worksite Medical respirator refresher guide here. Feel free to print it and place it in a common area, so that your team understands respirator safety.
As for the fit testing, medical evaluations, and even blood testing? We can help with that, and no one even has to leave your jobsite.
Schedule your on-site medical surveillance testing today, or your customized quote, by completing the form below. Let’s make sure that we keep you off of next year’s top-10 list!
About Worksite Medical
In most cases, OSHA requires medical surveillance testing, and at no cost to employees.
Worksite Medical makes that program easier with mobile medical testing.
We conduct on-site respirator fit tests, as well as audiometric exams, pulmonary function tests and heavy metal lab work, right on your job site. We also keep accurate, easy-to-access medical records for your convenience. You’ll keep your employees at work, and stay ahead of OSHA inspections.
